Saturday, January 11, 2014

PCR, Suresh | 19-Sep-13 | Fellowship Invite


Joshua Madan from  COVENANT CONSULTANTS  is our guest speaker for this Friday. Started not long ago this company is already in Top 10 in that space. Obviously the hand of God and His Grace is upon them. Joshua is also known in the FM Radio circles for his voice and choice of songs. He also runs a media production company along with Sanjay Pinto of NDTV (now on his own). But more importantly than all of this, he is a great asset in the kingdom of god, planting churches and helping the extension of His kingdom in many ways. We thank God for this time we can fellowship together and be strengthened in our spirits. God Bless and please be there on time. 

Quotes of Great men of God - 97 | Bro. P. Philips | 30-Oct-2013


“If a Christian is not having tribulation in the world, there’s something wrong!”
- L. Ravenhill

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me you have peace. In the world you have shall tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)

UV 909/10,000 The Root and Fruit of Praise - Prateep V Philip | PCR, Suresh | 30-Oct-2013


By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name
Hebrews 13 v 15

 After the final and ultimate sacrifice of the Lamb of God, the blemishless sacrifice that has the potential of absolving all mankind of all our sins, there is only one sacrifice that is pleasing and acceptable to the Lord God:  the sacrifice of praise to God continually.  We need to remember all the Lord’ s goodness to us all our lives and give thanks to Jesus. The words , “ By Him” implies that it is by the grace of Jesus that our praise, worship and thanksgiving is acceptable and pleasing to God. We need to cultivate and maintain an attitude of gratitude to the Lord for our personal salvation as well as a multitude of blessings that it entails.  We need to also develop a sense of awe at His ineffable greatness and glory, evidenced in nature, in the gospel, in history and in our lives.   This is what will make each of us a living sacrifice on the altar of God.  It will fill our lives with the awesome presence of the Lord for He delights to be present where He is worshipped.  Our bodies become His tabernacle, His church.  It will also fill our lives with immeasurable and inexplicable joy and infinite strength and spiritual fervour.   Whatever blessings we have will be further multiplied. For Jesus took the five bread and seven fishes from the boy.  Once He gave thanks to the Lord, it multiplied to fill many baskets and feed the multitude of ten thousand.

 It will be a good exercise to each day focus on one particular facet of God’s goodness and one blessing that the Lord has endowed us with.  Six days of the week we can focus on six different facets of God’s character, His plan of salvation and His blessings and on the seventh day, we can praise the Lord all day for all of these facets and blessings.   Jesus healed ten lepers but only one returned to thank and appreciate Him.  Each of us should be like the returning leper who receives the approbation of the Lord.  When we do so we will be like the glorious lily that has six petals. We will be like the dew to Israel, like a cedar of Lebanon that sends down its roots deep, whose young shoots grow. Our splendour will be like an olive tree, our fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon.  We will blossom like a vine and our renown will be like the wine from Lebanon.   The reference to “roots” means that this continual act of worship in our inner being is deep and hidden from the eye.

 The “fruit of our lips” implies   that not only should we do the “ root activity” or  inwardly and continually thank and worship the Lord for His goodness towards us, we should also express in words our love, appreciation, awe, adoration, admiration, gratitude towards the Lord.  The fruit of the Holy Spirit, namely love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self control should be in evidence in the words we speak.   There should be a constant intermingling of the fruit of the Spirit and the words of our lips.   Our normal conversation should be interspersed with such fruit offering to the Lord.  Like organ music or instruments enhance the beauty of our songs, when our conversation is salted with wisdom and grace, it enhances the beauty of our worship.   Indeed, we need to worship the Lord not in the ugliness of our own context but in the beauty of His holiness, power and grace.

Prayer by Mathew Jayadeep | 30-Oct-13


Prayer:

Loving Lord Jesus,

You are strong and mighty. Fill me with the Holy Spirit and transform me into a new person. Empower me to proclaim your kingdom, overcome the devil and lead a righteous life. Place me on the high rock.

In Your matchless name I pray. 

Amen.

Quotes of Great men of God - 96 | Bro. P. Philips | 29-Oct-2013


“Struggle gives you backbone it strengthens your faith in God your source it helps you to overcome great handicaps. God’s every stroke is always upward never download”
- Oral Robert 

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith. (2 Timothy 4:7)

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

He can do everything He can do everything! | PCR, Suresh | 29-Oct-2013


Job 42:2" I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.”

Job finally acknowledges the unlimited, colossal, enormous power of God! How about you!

He can remove that unwanted growth in your body without operation!
He can create a job for you like Pharaoh created for Joseph!
He can prepare a plane for you and carry you like He carried Philip!

How can I have that kind of faith?  It comes from diligently hearing and reading His Word!  Hebrews 2:1”Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.”

However, even after reading the umpteen miracles that Jesus had performed, which were no bed-time stories, though, but absolutely historic, why do we refuse to have faith in Him?  Faith is the victory that not only overcomes the world, but also every fear that haunts us in life.  You can find hope in your darkest hour! He is 100% reliable!

When Lazarus the close friend of Jesus died in Bethany, Jesus delayed in immediately going to that place, He said: ’This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God.’  Friend, some times, we do not immediately understand the present problems that we are going through, only fast forward after many months or years, we are able to see the glory of God. Martha looked at Him teary eyed and said: “Lord, if only you had been here!”  

There were million other hidden questions behind those words: why did You not turn up on time? Don’t you love us? Where have you gone away while we desperately needed you? Jesus knew it all!  Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away; yet Jesus came four days after the death of Lazarus.  Have you heard the phrase ‘so near yet so far?’ Yes, that was what happened; however, God had greater things planned for the family through His delay.  He was using this beloved family for His glory!  When Jesus said, ‘remove that stone’, Martha said, “"Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days." Jesus gave her a simple reply: Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God? It was a gentle rebuke to silence her fears.  He then prayed: ‘Lord, I know you will hear my prayers, but for the sake of the people around, for they may see the miracle and believe.’ On hearing the thundering voice of Jesus, the dead Lazarus walked out of the grave! WOW! Is there anything too hard for Him? Tell me. 

I could feel the tangible presence of God as I sit alone here in my room, typing this message with fasting and a lot of prayer;  I know this message is going to be heard and read by many broken people who are going through innumerable miseries in their life.  I am speaking to you right now, let the glory of God fill you wherever you are; may be in the hospital, your office cabin, your car…..I pray Oh God, let them feel Your touch!

The Jesus Prayer | Prayer by Mathew Jayadeep | 29-Oct-13


O my Divine Savior, transform me into yourself.
May my hands be the hands of Jesus.
May my tongue be the tongue of Jesus,
Grant that every faculty of my body may serve only to glorify you.
Above all, transform my soul and all its powers,
that my memory, my will and my affections
may be the memory, the will and the affections of Jesus.
I pray you to destroy in me all that is not you.
Grant that I may live but in you and for you, 
and that I may truly say with St. Paul:
"I live, now not I, but Christ lives in me"

fall asleep in Jesus' wounds

Now I raise me up from sleep,
I thank the Lord who did me keep,
All through the night; and to Him pray
That He may keep me through the day.
All which for Jesus' sake, I say. Amen.

Quotes of Great men of God - 95 | Bro. P. Philips | 28-Oct-2013


Our plans may be interrupted by storms, but God’s plans never are. In fact the storm is part of HIS Plan  
- Ron Hutchcraft

His way is in the whirlwind and the Storm (Nahum 1: 3)

UV 907-10,000 Dominion - Prateep V Philip | PCR, Suresh | 28-Oct-2013


Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:   Psalm 8 v 6
                
 The word “ dominion” implies to rule with authority, to subdue, to discipline and to dominate.  It does not mean political rule but spiritual reign of God.  God made all things with His hands and placed them under the feet of man.  We can see the operation of this Word in the entire planet: the land, the seas and the air is today under the dominion of mankind. But the Word also says that all men have feet of clay or weaknesses.  These weaknesses will cause him to fall and remain under the dominion of satan. The latter began to dominate man with the temptation to sin during his lifetime and afterward with death and damnation.   Only Jesus is seen in the book of Revelation as a person who has shining feet that appeared like bronze.   All things including angels, authorities, powers and death itself were brought under His feet.   In preparation for the death and burial of Jesus, His feet were washed with tears and perfume by Mary of Magdalene.  

Jesus washed the feet of His disciples, an action that symbolised that they were cleansed of their inner weaknesses or feet of clay.  But today our entire being, bodies, minds, thoughts, emotions, goals have been  sanctified not just with water but with the precious blood of the Lamb.  In our own being, the Lord should rule over our spirits, minds and bodies.  We are restored to dominion over all domains.  Our instruments to rule these domains are: prayer, declaring the Word believing it will fulfil itself and commanding the powers of darkness.  We need to exercise dominion over the world, to subdue the powers of darkness under our feet, to bring order out of chaos, to extend the rule of the Lord, to pre-empt and prevent the domination of evil of all kinds in all nations.

 Now we who believe in Jesus have been declared priests and kings or a royal priesthood.   All things of darkness that are under the feet of Jesus are now by interpretation also under our feet.   As priests we can pray and intercede for people to be released from darkness into light, from falsehood into truth, from suffering and penalty into joy.  As kings we can command the kingdoms, powers and principalities of darkness.  We can command healing and deliverance.   We need to have dominion over our homes, streets, cities and nations.  Each of these are to be made a footstool unto the Lord.     The Lord has told us in prayer, “ Your home is My footstool.”   A footstool is a piece of furniture meant to rest one’s feet on.  The earth itself is described as the footstool of the earth.  We are to rule the world as viceroys of the Lord.

Prayer by Mathew Jayadeep | 28-Oct-13


Prayer:

Loving Lord Jesus,

I love You and honour You with all my heart. I choose to keep your commands. I offer You the sacrifice of praise from the depth of my heart. Surround me with your wonderful presence. Bless me in an abundant measure and fill me with your fullness of joy.

In Your matchless name I pray. 

Amen.

Isaiah 41 :10-13

10 Do not be afraid—I am with you!
I am your God—let nothing terrify you!
I will make you strong and help you;
I will protect you and save you.
11 “Those who are angry with you
will know the shame of defeat.
Those who fight against you will die
12 and will disappear from the earth.
13 I am the Lord your God;
I strengthen you and tell you,
‘Do not be afraid; I will help you.’”

Quotes of Great men of God - 94 | Bro. P. Philips | 25-Oct-2013


“Thanksgiving is the language of heaven, and we had better start to learn it if we are not to be mere dumb aliens there”
- Arthur J. Gossip 

I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving (Psalms 69:30)

Coffee with God! - Sis. Bala Samson | PCR, Suresh | 25-Oct-2013


Job 19:25”For I know that my Redeemer lives!”

While working for a bank with jam-packed agenda in my life: as a wife, mother and the office work as well, that kept me on my toes the whole day and I had to don multiple hats dexterously.  One miss and I‘m in a fix! It’s during this time of my life that I was diagnosed with multiple fibroids in my uterus when I was five months pregnant.  Abortion was the verdict of many doctors!  When everything around me looked eerie and dark, my Savior Jesus Christ walked into my life!  

After my encounter with Jesus, I determined to wake up in the wee hours of the day and pray – while it was very dark! Now, when I say ‘morning prayer’ it is kind of boring for people, let me put it this way, I woke early to greet Him ‘Good morning Jesus and have a chat with God!’  How does this sound?  Let this encourage you too, to greet Him ‘Good morning Jesus!’ I loved that part of the day, because there was no chaos, no one knocked the door, no one rang the door bell, no street vendor yelling on the road and no noise whatsoever.  I loved that silence!  I wept at His feet, poured my woes, my fears and my angst to Him! I would read a portion of the Bible from which God would speak powerfully to me and I would get charged like a volcano and I would go for work.  It did not stop there, my coffee time with God spilled over at work as well.  I would share my experience with my colleagues and also the Word that I read that day and explain to them; mark it, I was no preacher at that time.  My colleagues sat spellbound!   

Tea time at work, lunch time at work turned to prayer time!  After talking to them, we would all bow our heads and pray with tears, because each of us had truckload of problems.  My coffee time with God in the morning turned me to a Preacher at work to begin with.  What started as a small effort of greeting Jesus ‘Good morning and chat with Him,’ turned into a commitment for the rest of my life!  Today I just can’t be without wishing Jesus ‘Good morning’ and speaking with Him!

After going through severe pain, uncertainty, medication, doctor trips, ambulance trips, bed pans, finally the miracle baby Joshua was born and I was bubbling and blabbering in ecstasy. I thought, ‘I crossed the painful path, now, I can share this testimony and do a victory dance.’  Later, I surrendered my life for full-time service to God, then came the next set of tremendous financial struggle that I had to face coupled with tension of payments all around me.  I was able to handle the various, inevitable challenges of my ministerial assignment, my role as a mother, wife, writer, preacher and teacher and a church leader as well; from the energy and strength that I received from my ‘early morning Coffee time’ with God!  

When Job lost his ten kids, lost his home, lost his health and lost everything, I love the part where he prostrates and worships God!  Man, that’s powerful!  Chapter nineteen from the book of Job, talks about Job being lampooned by kids and his friends and his skin sticking to his bones.  Imagine his sight!  It is now Job does something spectacular that moves the Messiah, Job said, ‘I know my Redeemer lives!’  Let me put it in a slang: ‘to hell with you guys who mock at me, My Heavenly Dad is alive and that’s enough!’

How about greeting Jesus ‘Good morning’ and having a chat with Him in the early hours of the day?  Don’t tell me, ‘I can’t fit that kind of thing into my life.’ When we fit Jesus into our life, He would fix all the problems in our life and get you ready for a jig! 

Quotes of Great men of God - 93 | Bro. P. Philips | 24-Oct-2013


“Thanksgiving is the language of heaven, and we had better start to learn it if we are not to be mere dumb aliens there”
- Arthur J. Gossip 

I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving (Psalms 69:30)

UV 904-10,000 Marks of a Man of God - Prateep V Philip | PCR, Suresh | 24-Oct-2013


He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;
Isaiah 33 v 15 

                 This uni-verse describes the marks of a man who pleases God: he walks in righteousness or in accordance with the laws or Word of God.  Each teaching from scripture is a path or a road or a highway of God.  We need to walk in these ways alone and not stray or take a detour.       We need to speak in uprightness- there needs to be an alignment between the Word, our minds, our mouths and our actions.       Ken Blanchard, the author of the One Minute Manager series,  teaches about the integrity of the 4 H:  heart, head, hands and habits.  The one thing he failed to include is the use of our mouths or our tongues or our speech.  For indeed as the Lord says, “ Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me and to him who ordered his conversation aright, will I show My salvation.”

                The other qualities of a person of God is that he or she refuses bribes and hates to gain anything by oppression or exploitation but would aim to do so only by just means.   Such a person shows revulsion at violence or the shedding of blood.   He is not only non-violent but anti-violence.  He or she is a peace lover and a peace maker.  He or she takes a vow or covenants with his or her eyes not to look at the opposite gender or for that matter the same gender too with lust.   As Jesus said, “ the eyes are the windows of the body, the light of our existence.”  We need to keep our eyes from seeing what is evil or vulgar or unworthy. I recently heard about the shocking statistics that a good number of pastors in certain countries are addicted to pornography.   Children whose eyes are exposed to pornography have their minds scarred for life.  If one of the partners in a marriage is addicted to pornography, it adversely affects his or her relationship with the spouse.

               The presence of God or our personal relationship with the Lord creates such marks of distinction in people who both love God and fear to break His laws.    Such persons will live on high.   This implies that when we follow the ways of the Lord, we will have exciting lives.  “Our bread will be provided and our waters will be sure.”  In other words, we shall have no want or our need will be met in every area of life.  We will be secure in the Lord since “ our place of defence shall be the munition of rocks.”  In other words, our sense of security will be as if we are living in a mountain fortress. Nothing can shake us.  Our eyes will behold the beauty of the Lord and see the glory of Heaven in our lives.  Our abode or residence will be peaceful.  The stakes of our tents will not be pulled up nor any of its ropes broken.  We will be both healed and forgiven.

Prayer by Mathew Jayadeep | 24-Oct-13


Prayer:

Loving Lord Jesus,

You are the Rock Eternal. I take refuge in You, the strong tower in whom I trust. Keep me safe in your dwelling in the day of trouble. Hide me in the shelter of your presence. Set my feet on a rock and give me a firm place to stand. Deliver me in times of trouble and enable me to dwell peacefully.

Your matchless name I pray. 

Amen.

Choose Life - Kenneth Copeland | PCR, Suresh | 23-Oct-2013


For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." (Romans 8:6)

If you were given the choice between life and death, which would you choose? The answer seems obvious. But, in reality,  it's not.

You see, choosing death doesn't necessarily mean jumping from the nearest cliff. It's much more subtle than that. The Bible says death is being carnally minded, being entangled in this present worldly realm. The Bible also tells us what life is. "My son, attend to my words," says Proverbs 4:20-22, "...for they are life!"

To be worldly-minded is death. To be Word-minded is life. In Luke 10, there's a story that illustrates this principle extremely well. It's the story of Mary and Martha. You probably remember it. Mary was sitting at Jesus' feet listening to Him teach while Martha was bustling around in the kitchen cooking dinner for everyone. 

Finally Martha couldn't stand it anymore. She came to Jesus and said, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do all the work myself? Tell her to help me!" Jesus answered, "Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:41-42).

Mary had set everything else aside, so she could hear the Word. But Martha had let the seemingly important business of living take priority over the Word. She'd chosen death, not life. You see how easy it is to slip into that?

"But Brother Copeland," you say, "if I didn't spend all my time taking care of the business of living, my life would fall apart!" 

Oh, really? Martha probably thought that too. She probably thought if she didn't cook dinner for all those folks, they'd go hungry. But they wouldn't have. Jesus had miraculously fed multitudes before and He could have done it again in Martha's home. She could have plopped herself down at Jesus' feet, and they could have had a banquet at God's expense! 

Don't make the mistake that Martha did. Don't get so entangled in the business of living that you choose death by default. Decide to put the Word first place. Choose life!

Kenneth Copeland

SCRIPTURE READING:  Romans 8:5-13

Prayer by Mathew Jayadeep | 23-Oct-13


Prayer:

Loving Lord Jesus,

I humble myself before your presence and seek You with all my heart. Please fill my heart with your divine love. Enable me to forgive others’ shortcomings and love them with a pure heart. Give me the grace to pray for them. May I have divine blessings and peace in my life.

Your matchless name I pray. 

Amen.


Isaiah 41 :10-13

10 Do not be afraid—I am with you!
I am your God—let nothing terrify you!
I will make you strong and help you;
I will protect you and save you.
11 “Those who are angry with you
will know the shame of defeat.
Those who fight against you will die
12 and will disappear from the earth.
13 I am the Lord your God;
I strengthen you and tell you,
‘Do not be afraid; I will help you.’”

Lord our God, may your blessings be with us. 
Give us success in all we do!
Psalms 90: 17

Quotes of Great men of God - 92 | Bro. P. Philips | 22-Oct-2013


“A state of mind that sees God in everything is evidence of growth in grace and a thankful heart.”
- Charles Finney 

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3: 5 - 6)

UV 902-10,000 Intimacy (Prateep V Philip) | PCR, Suresh | 22-Oct-2013


“One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.”

Psalm 27 v 4 

            If we ask ourselves the question, “ what is  the one thing that I desire in all of life? If out of all the things in life, I have to choose one thing, what is that one thing?”     That one thing is the locus of our life, the focus of our being.  It is what dominates our thoughts and emotions. It rules over us like a veritable god.   This is the reason that the Lord expects singlemindedness in us.  He exhorts us to seek Him with all our hearts. The Psalmist David after all his varied experiences of the high and low, the up and down of life answered that question by saying, “ The one thing that I seek is the Lord Himself.”      Everything else is worthless without Him, everything else takes its value on account of Him.  As Jesus told the ever busy Martha,  “ Only one thing is needed and Mary has chosen the better part which will not be taken away from her.”  When we seek the Lord with such a consuming passion, He undertakes to add all other things that we need to our lives. St Paul also exhibited such singlemindedness in his life both before he met the risen Christ and afterwards, with differing results in both halves of his life.

         King David could have chosen many things- the power and majesty of his kingdom, the fame of his own name, the pleasures of royal life, the beauty of  his wives, the grandeur of his palace, the loyalty and adulation of his subjects, the love for his offspring, the excitement of military conquest and victory..  But, he realized that all this is in vain except he spent eternity with God.  He was entranced by the beauty of the character of the Lord. He was awed by the glory and holiness of God.  When the Lord smiled at him, his own countenance lit up even as Moses’s face was radiant whenever he returned from the tent of meeting.  He delighted in His love and fellowship. He sought a deeper and deeper intimacy with the Lord of his life.   He loved to spend time in  praise and prayer.       As we spend time focussing on the beauty, power and glory of the Lord as revealed in His Word, we will be transformed degree by degree into His very image.

       The close and personal relationship that David enjoyed with the Lord is expressed in the many songs or psalms he composed that covers the entire gamut of human emotions vis –a- vis God: faith, disbelief, self doubt, repentance, assurance, fear, frustration, joy, security, hope, despair, strength, weakness, love, devotion, gratitude, awe, compassion, worship, steadfastness, determination, zeal and so on.   In every stage and predicament of his life, David enquired of the Lord and received answers to his questions.  The Lord clarified his doubts and assuaged his fears.      He quenched or satisfied all his other desires by satisfying his one desire for the Lord.

Prayer by Mathew Jayadeep | 22-Oct-13


Prayer:

Loving Lord Jesus,

You are my Shepherd. I revere You and trust in You. Satisfy me with your goodness which You have prepared for me. Grant me my needs more than I expect or ask for. Let prosperity come in my way. Bless me exceedingly.

Your matchless name I pray. 

Amen.


Isaiah 41 :10-13

10 Do not be afraid—I am with you!
I am your God—let nothing terrify you!
I will make you strong and help you;
I will protect you and save you.
11 “Those who are angry with you
will know the shame of defeat.
Those who fight against you will die
12 and will disappear from the earth.
13 I am the Lord your God;
I strengthen you and tell you,
‘Do not be afraid; I will help you.’”

Lord our God, may your blessings be with us. 
Give us success in all we do!
Psalms 90: 17

Quotes of Great men of God - 88 | Bro. P. Philips | 91-Oct-2013


“Elijah on Carmel did no only pray, he kept his eyes open to see the rising cloud”

- T.L. Cuyler(1822 – 1909 U.S. Christian writer)

“Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. (Mark 11: 24)

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man supposes that he will receive anything from the Lord. (James 1: 5-7)

UV 901/10,000 The Aroma | PCR, Suresh | 21-Oct-2013


The Aroma

“But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.”
2 Corinthians 2 v 14

We need to thank the Lord for every triumph He has led us into.   Christ Jesus leads the triumphal procession of history.  He declares everyone of us a winner.   He has defeated the foe and his plans to kill, destroy and steal our peace, our health, our unity and our abundance.    The plans that God has for us which are to give us hope and a future in eternity will succeed instead.   It is this hope of Christ in us who bestows and shares His ineffable greatness or glory with  us  that makes us fresh and fragrant.   The smell of death and all threat of rottenness in our lives is gone and  we begin to smell like the Rose of Sharon.The fragrance of Christ is the unspoken but strongly experienced witness of His grace in our lives. 

Not only do we experience the aroma of Christ, we begin to spread the aroma wherever we go so that others will come into a personal knowledge or relationship with Christ, the all conquering King  and in turn experience the fragrance and join the triumphal procession.  The redeemed of the Lord are portrayed as soldiers returning after a hard fought and won victory to the Kingdom of God.  The soldiers are full of rejoicing and gratitude to God that they have escaped death on the battlefields of earth.    Instead, they carry the spoils and enjoy  privileges of victory. 

It is the duty of the soldiers to recruit more souls to swell the ranks of the army of God.  We are a sweet smelling and living  offering unto the Lord.    The aroma or fragrance is a metaphor for our winning ways by which we touch the lives of others.   It is said that even the wall on which the jasmine plant leans smells of the fragrance of the flower. As we lean on the Lord, His aroma will pervade our inner being. Just as one cannot stop the aroma of a sweet smelling flower or perfume from spreading everywhere, the aroma of Christ spreads throughout the world & the universe, drawing many to cling, to lean and to be attached to Him.

Prayer by Mathew Jayadeep | 21-Oct-13


Prayer:

Loving Lord Jesus,

I call upon You in the day of trouble. I turn to You for help. Please have mercy on me and answer me. Lord, be with me in trouble. Deliver me from my problems and perform extraordinary miracles in my life.

Your matchless name I pray. 

Amen.


Isaiah 41 :10-13

10 Do not be afraid—I am with you!
I am your God—let nothing terrify you!
I will make you strong and help you;
I will protect you and save you.
11 “Those who are angry with you
will know the shame of defeat.
Those who fight against you will die
12 and will disappear from the earth.
13 I am the Lord your God;
I strengthen you and tell you,
‘Do not be afraid; I will help you.’”


Lord our God, may your blessings be with us. 
Give us success in all we do!
Psalms 90: 17

Quotes of Great men of God - 90 | Bro. P. Philips | 18-Oct-2013


“Light yourself on fire with passion and people will come from miles to watch you burn.” 
- John Wesley 

You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.(Matthew 5 : 14 - 16) 

Prayer by Mathew Jayadeep | 18-Oct-13


Prayer:

Loving Lord Jesus,

You are my rock, fortress and my salvation. I fix my eyes on You. Please have compassion on me and meet all my needs. Satisfy me with the honey from the rock. Stand beside me and be my support. Let nothing shake me. Be my eternal refuge. Let your presence guide me all through my life.

Your matchless name I pray. 

Amen.

Quotes of Great men of God - 89 | Bro. P. Philips | 17-Oct-2013


“Outside of Christ, I am only a sinner; 
but in Christ I am saved,

Outside of Christ, I am empty; 
In Christ I am full, 

Outside of Christ, I am week; 
In Christ I am Strong,

Outside of Christ, I Cannot; 
In Christ, I am more than able, 

Outside of Christ, I have been defeated; 
In Christ I am already victorious,

How meaningful are the words, “In Christ”
- Watchman Nee

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; Old things are passed away, behold all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17) 
Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. (Colossians 1: 28) 

Prayer by Mathew Jayadeep | 15-Oct-13


Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (James 5:16)

Prayer:

Loving Lord Jesus,

You submitted yourself to suffering and offered yourself as a sacrifice for my sake. I am tormented by sickness. I earnestly pray for my healing. Please heed my fervent prayer seeking forgiveness and healing. Touch me with your powerful hands and heal my wounds and sickness with your stripes. Grant me a miraculous healing.

In Your matchless name I pray. 

Amen.

The Banner of Victory - Prateep V Philip. | PCR, Suresh | 15-Oct-2013


UV 897/10,000   The Banner of Victory 

“Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth.” 
 Psalm 60 v 4 

             In times of war, the banner that was raised above all the troops was intended as a sign of triumph.  As long as it was held up, the troops knew that they were winning and their spirits would begin to sag only when they fail to see  it. The Lord keeps a spiritual banner of love and victory over those who fear Him.  We do not have to wait for victory before we praise and glorify Him for it.  We need to remember all the past victories the Lord had given us in our struggles in different areas of our lives and worship Him.   This is the reason Moses erected an altar and called it Jehovahnissi or Jehovah’s victory.   This was no longer the reluctant and diffident leader when God had called him to lead the Hebrew people out of captivity in Egypt.  He had already tasted the great deliverance and seen the amazing victory God had given them.     He was proclaiming in faith the victory of Jehovah for all time and all eternity.    This is the reason the Jewish diaspora who were scattered in the first millenium like the dust is scattered to the four corners of the earth were gathered back as the nation of Israel after World War II.    We need to erect an altar of worship in our hearts and our hearths.  We need to offer sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving for these triumphs in our lives.

            The second banner the Lord keeps over His beloved people is the banner of love.  The rainbow was revealed to Noah after the great flood as a sign of God’s love and faithfulness. Each colour of the rainbow is a symbol of victory in a different area of our lives: spiritual, emotional, intellectual, social, physical, professional and material.  God’s promise to man is that when the enemy of our souls rises against us like a flood, He will raise a standard to make him flee.   That standard is the cross.   The cross is the ensign for all mankind that Christ has won a victory for each of us and all of us over sin and death.          

          The Lord places His banners only over those who are faithful to Him and have a personal relationship with Him.   The banners God has given us are not meant to be folded and kept away but to be displayed so that others who are in search of victory and love can also come and take refuge under the banner.   The Lord has often affirmed while we were in prayer that He has raised a huge flag or banner over our home.  The enemy sees it and realizes that this is not his territory and that it is out of bounds for him.    

Prateep   V  Philip.

Prayer by Mathew Jayadeep | 14-Oct-13


Loving Lord Jesus,

You manifested your love for us by offering yourself as a sacrifice for our salvation. I love You wholeheartedly and choose to live for your glory. Give me the grace to follow your commandments and to do good deeds. Help me to lead a life pleasing to You and receive the eternal blessings.

Your matchless name I pray. 

Amen.

Prepare for Persecution - Gloria Copeland | PCR, Suresh | 11-Oct-2013


"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."  (2 Timothy 3:12)

Did you catch that? He said all who live godly lives are going to suffer persecution. Not just the super-saints, not just the missionaries in hostile lands--but ALL.

If you're going to live for God, you're going to run into persecution somewhere along the line. The devil's going to make sure of it!

Now I'm not saying that to frighten you or to depress you. I'm saying it because I want you to be prepared. When you're wise to the strategies of the devil, it's harder for him to use them successfully on you to confuse you and get you off track.

Second Corinthians 10:4 says, "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds." So stay armed and ready for Satan's attack. Then, whenever and however it comes, it won't bring your life to a halt or even slow you down.

That's especially important right now because we're living in the last days. The devil's time is drawing short. He is desperate. He is going to do everything he can to stop the Church. But Jesus said the gates of hell would not prevail against His Church! Remember the more we grow to be like Jesus and the more God's glory is revealed through our lives, the bigger threat we are to Satan's kingdom. Jesus said, "Rejoice and be glad at such a time, and exult and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is rich and great and strong and intense and abundant in heaven" (Luke 6:23, The Amplified 
Bible).

So, when persecution comes your way, and you know it will, rejoice and be glad. Take the Jesus cure and begin to leap and jump and praise God!
There is no way persecution will hurt you if you do that. I've tried it and it works.

Gloria Copeland

SCRIPTURE READING:  Acts 6:1-15

Prayer by Mathew Jayadeep | 10-Oct-13


Loving Lord Jesus,

You are the prayer-answering God. I call upon your name in the time of my need. Please hear my prayer and answer me by being a refuge for me in the day of trouble. Deliver me through your miraculous help and exalt me in honor.

Your matchless name I pray. 

Amen.

Here I am - devotion by Sis. Bala Samson | PCR, Suresh | 10-Oct-2013


1 Samuel 4:1”And the word of Samuel came to all Israel……………”

The portion where we read the encounter of God with little Samuel is thrilling and has been the fascination and the most loved subject in Sunday School as well.  It truly baffles us!  The thought of God the Creator of the Universe yearning and craving to speak to a little boy is beyond our comprehension; however, when we get to know the depth and the colossal love of our God, then we are able to understand His wonderful heart.  Many Christian songs are written comparing his love with that of a father or mother, but let me tell you; His love is far higher, deeper and wider and richer than any human love – HIS LOVE IS INCOMPARABLE!

Thrice God approached Samuel in the quietness of the night, Samuel obediently ran to the priest Eli but the fourth time, he said, ‘Speak for your Servant hears.’  God then bursts out like a dam and talks about the atrocities committed by Eli and his sons.  There is one phrase that stands out when God spoke to Samuel regarding the wicked family of Eli  : He said, ‘Eli did not RESTRAIN his sons from sinning!’  Watch out friends! Hearken to His voice today!  Friend, this is a hot sermon that comes to you after spending around three hours at His Feet!  God was angry with Eli for his silence.  Eli failed to correct his sons and mend their ways so He had to look for someone else who would hear His voice and not ignore it but take action.  Now listen, Eli was no ordinary man, he had once upon a time directly heard the voice of God and His plans but because of his disobedience God stopped talking to Eli.  If today you are wondering why am I in the dark, analyze your heart for hidden sins, unrighteous activities, envy, anger, vengeance, bitterness or lust – repent and get right with God.  God spoke with Samuel for a long time that night.  Man, this is awesome!  Who you talk with is important!  A girl who worked in the call center would return home in the wee hours in the morning but spend several hours texting her boyfriend and talking with him after that.  She had forgotten her God and the Bible started gathering dust; the end of her story was tragedy – the boy left her. There are people who party hard today through the night and college students have something like ‘sleep-over parties’ where a group of students spend the night in their friend’s home; however, such parties had ended up disastrously.  But here Samuel partied with God the whole night which actually changed his life and be became the prophet to Israel.  After an encounter with Jesus, your life should never remain the same!  If people don’t find a change in you, then you have actually not experienced Him in His fullness.

Samuel started preaching to the people and the entire town came to know that he was a prophet of God.  He did not carry a name plate calling himself a ‘prophet’; but everybody knew that.  He was a city on the hill!  After my encounter with Jesus in the emergency ward in the hospital, fire exploded in my heart.  I preached to my family, though my folks found me weird in the beginning but they could not deny the presence of God over me.  I was burning for God!  I preached on total holiness to my entire family.  My maid from a strong hindu background at my home got saved, my mom, my mom-in-law, my brother-in-law, my sisters all got saved and took immersion water baptism.  My husband got saved and also my friend who sat next to my work desk got saved …the list goes on.  Fire would spread!

Uni-verse : Revival (Prateep V Philip) | PCR, Suresh | 09-Oct-2013


“O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy”
Habakuk 3 v 2
             
When we hear the speech of the Lord, it is an awesome experience, like nothing our senses can ever perceive.  It will make our hair stand on end.  His eyes are full of fire and can see us in our complete nakedness.  Nothing can be hidden from His perception.  He sees us as we are in the present, the past and in the future.   His tongue is like a sharpened sword. His breath can slay anything unholy that enters or remains in His presence.  Naturally, the prophet Habakuk was afraid as he entered the presence of the Lord.   

He feared the judgement of the Lord.  Moses trembled and feared when He experienced the presence of the Lord.  Today, we should not take the presence of the Lord lightly or callously.  No one who sees or experiences the Lord can ever remain the same.   It is such reverence that leads to revelations that give us wisdom, specific direction and guidance. Reverence precedes revival.  Just lying still in His presence  will revive us even as a  deer is revived by drinking from the cool waters of a forest spring.

The prophet Habakuk then prayed, asking the Lord to revive His work of salvation of Israel in the midst of the years.        We need in this day and age to  pray that the Lord revive the church in all nations in the midst of our years.    Recently, the Lord has spoken through a certain sister that He wants the churches to be revived:  certain denominations need to give up their perverse doctrines and practices of praying to the saints and icons, certain denominations need to give up the dead weight of proud tradition and  believe and allow the Holy Spirit to work in their midst with signs, prophetic word, gifts, fruits and wonders, certain denominations need to get the focus off the pastors and onto the Lord and allow the gifts of believers and their individual calling as kings and priests  of the Kingdom of God to be manifest.    

The words “ in the middle of the years” implies that in the midst of calamities, persecution, trials and troubles, He will make His presence real and felt.  We need to pray that people be saved in the middle of their years, well before the judgement at the end of their lives or at the end of the world.

The Lord knows the defects or faults or blemishes of His bride, the church but in wrath, He remembers mercy.  Such an unique and beautiful biblical expression that emerges from the character of God and becomes a precept or principle for our lives even as it is a promise for us.    

When David errs before God in disobeying Him in taking a census, he prefers to fall into the hands of God rather than into the hands of men as he knew that God is more merciful even when He is angry.     

We need to examine our faith status every day and pray, “ Lord, renew me with your resurrection power and grace. Revive me.”  We should also use this as a “life app” in the times when we are angry with someone or something- in our wrath or anger, remember God’s mercy to us and show some part of that same mercy in that situation or to that person.

Prayer by Mathew Jayadeep | 09-Oct-13


A True Letter of Our Savior Jesus Christ
Consecrating the Drops of Blood which Our Lord Jesus lost on His way to Calvary
Copy of a Letter of the Oration found in the Holy Sepulchre of Our Lord Jesus Christ in Jerusalem, preserved in a silver box by His Holiness and by the Emperors and Empresses of the Christian Faith. 

Saint Elizabeth, Queen of Hungary, with Saint Matilda and Saint Bridget, wishing to know something of the Passion of Jesus Christ, offered fervent and special prayers, upon which there appeared to them Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who spoke to them in the following manner: 
I descended from Heaven to the Earth in order to convert you. 
In olden times people were religious and their harvests were abundant; at present, on the contrary, they are scanty. 

If you want to reap an abundant harvest you must not work on Sunday, for on Sunday you must go to Church and pray to God to forgive your sins. He gave you six days in which to work and one for rest and devotion and to tender your help to the poor and assist the Church. 

Those people, who brawl against My religion and cast slurs on this Sacred Letter, shall be forsaken by Me. On the contrary, those people who shall carry a copy of this Letter with them shall be free from death by drowning and from sudden death. They shall be free from all contagious diseases and lightning; they shall not die without Confession, and shall be free from their enemies and from the hand of wrongful authority, and from all their slanderers and false witnesses. 

Lord our God, may your blessings be with us. 
Give us success in all we do!
Psalms 90: 17

BEFORE ANY WORK: 
O Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of the eternal Father, Thou hast said, “Without me you can do nothing.” In faith I embrace Thy words, O Lord, and bow before Thy goodness. Help me to complete the work I am about to begin for Thine own glory: in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. 
AFTER ANY WORK: 
Thou, O Christ, art Thyself the fulfillment of all good things! Fill my soul with joy and gladness, and save me, for Thou art all merciful.

Prayer:

Loving Lord Jesus,

You have forgiven me by your abundant mercy and accepted me as your child because of your immense love for me. Please fill my heart with your immeasurable love. Give me the grace to forgive one another’s shortcomings. Let your divine light shine through my life. May I experience perfect peace in my life.

Your matchless name I pray. 

Amen.